


Home Coming

by redcandle17



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - Martin
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-18
Updated: 2010-02-18
Packaged: 2017-10-07 08:59:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redcandle17/pseuds/redcandle17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Lady Stark receives an unpleasant surprise upon her arrival at Winterfell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home Coming

Catelyn Tully arrived at Winterfell exhausted and relieved to finally be there. It was a long way from Riverrun and winter still gripped the land, growing crueler the further north she rode. It was a hard journey to make with a babe, but the war was over and it was time to take her place with her lord husband.

The steward greeted her party courteously, but Catelyn was determined to do her duty from the start. She saw that her escorts were given food and drink in the hall before she allowed the servants to lead her to the Stark family quarters in the Great Keep. Cat was pleased that the nursery had been prepared, but she was disappointed the castlefolk did not greet their lord's infant son with greater enthusiasm.

And then she discovered the dark-haired babe lying in the bassinet in her son's nursery. "Whose child is this?" she demanded. The maid who had dared to put her own child to rest here would be sharply rebuked.

No one answered her and no one met her eyes, until a tiny old woman stepped forward. "He's Lord Eddard's son, milady. His natural son."

_No_. The word stuck in Catelyn's throat. She could believe that Ned had bedded other women; after all they had not known each other well and he had been away from her for over a year. But he would not bring home a bastard and put it in her son's cradle. He was a man of honor.

"You lie," she said. "Who are you?"

"They call me Old Nan, m'lady. I've nursed three generations of Starks." The old woman reached out to touch Robb's head of thick auburn hair.

Catelyn cuddled Robb against her chest protectively. She knew servants like Old Nan, men and women who had spent their entire lives in service to one House, who were absolutely loyal. Such a woman would not play a jape on her lord's new wife. It was true then. This strange babe lying in the nursery was her husband's son by some other woman.

She wanted to ask who the mother was, but she did not dare. Likely it had been some camp follower who offered base comfort to Ned between battles; no one of consequence and certainly no one who called Winterfell home. Catelyn wanted to have the bastard taken elsewhere, but she would not risk angering her lord husband so early in their marriage. She would talk to him; make him see that the bastard could not stay in their home.

Catelyn set her babe down in the big bassinet and watched for a moment as Robb and the bastard snuggled together like pups. Then she turned away and allowed the maids to lead her to the chambers reserved for the Lady of Winterfell. She needed a bath and rest so she could greet Ned at her best when he returned home from his hunt. She would not allow today's painful shock to sour her marriage.


End file.
